High school educational tour of WSEL Butler, WI location
I had the great pleasure of hosting an educational tour for a group of high school accounting students on May 3, 2017.
Last winter I was approached to see if we would be willing to host an educational tour and discussion for a group of Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School (KMLHS) accounting students.
Seeing this as a wonderful opportunity to get give back to the community, and get our story out there, I eagerly accepted the offer.
Over the course of several months, I had discussions with Mr. Heider, KMLHS accounting teacher, to better understand his goals about this initiative.
We decided it would make sense to give the students a tour, so they could ultimately relate what we do to make an envelope, with what happens in a typical manufacturing accounting department.
The morning of May 3rd, Mr. Heider and his 15 junior and senior accounting students arrived in their big yellow school bus, Scott Blanchard greeted them with the plant safety rules, and off we went for a quick plant tour. Once that was complete, we assembled in the conference room for some lively accounting talk! Yes, I said LIVELY accounting talk, after all, is there any other kind of accounting talk?
Tom Rewolinski, Jennifer Ross and myself each gave an overview of how our various career paths led us to where we are today. As the students realized, each of us took a very different path to our current position, and in the process, we also conveyed to them that they have many options if they pursue an accounting career. We also talked at length about Western States' business and how the accounting department has a key role in making things run smoothly.
The 15 students that were present impressed me immensely with their insightful and relevant questions. Their lively interaction during the Q&A made the morning as much a learning experience for me as it was for them. The whole event was beyond my expectations, mostly because of the high caliber of students involved, and their eagerness to learn about our business and accounting in general.
I would encourage anyone with an opportunity to get involved with a similar endeavor to grab it. It is truly a growing experience for us as well as for our audience.
